3 Losers from Vikings Loss in Ireland
Mounting a comeback late in the game, the Minnesota Vikings couldn’t quite pull it off in Ireland, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 24-21. As always, a few “losers” stood off the page during the event, as such is life in the NFL during a loss.
The Minnesota Vikings lost their first international game — previously 8-0 overall — on Sunday, and along the way, a few “losers” stood of the page.
The Vikings next play the Cleveland Browns in London on Sunday, but before that, here’s a peek at Week 4 losers.
3 Minnesota Vikings Who Lost Big in Ireland
The team now has a 2-2 record through four games.
1. Levi Drake Rodriguez
Adding a caveat here because Rodriguez played only 16 snaps, the second-year lineman encountered his worst game as a pro. Rodriguez delivered a 32.4 Pro Football Focus grade, quite the downgrade from the 80.4 mark the week before when Minnesota utterly thwacked the Cincinnati Bengals.
That’s right — Rodriguez’s score fell from 80.4 to 32.4 in one week, a 48.0 swing.
Of course, Rodriguez is a second-year defender picked in the 7th Round last year. He was destined to have ups and downs during his development. Sunday in Dublin was a down.
2. Michael Jurgens
Jurgens, of course, was thrust into a rough spot against a usually good Steelers defensive front and emergency playing time due to Ryan Kelly’s second concussion in the three games.
For his troubles, Jurgens logged a 46.4 PFF mark, which is flatly not good. If you wanted to know why quarterback Carson Wentz was sacked six times — the quarterback getting sacked on offense is a common theme for the 2025 Vikings — Jurgens did Wentz no favors.
A 7th-Rounder from the 2024 NFL Draft, the young lineman needs more time to mature, and he might get it in the next month, depending on Kelly’s concussion status.
Our Kyle Joudry noted on Jurgens: “The issue is that Jurgens mirrors McCarthy: as a young fella, the C2 can’t be tasked with the high-level on-field processing that can only arrive after soaking up years of snaps. The experience shortcoming isn’t a problem with Wentz calling the shots, but what happens when McCarthy returns? The kid QB needs both strong blocking alongside strong pre-snap communication.”
“Jurgens is a step back in both areas (and that’s no criticism to the young lineman). After the game, Kevin O’Connell confirmed that Kelly was yet again in the concussion protocol. The head coach clarified that focusing on Kelly on a human level — not just as a football player — is a central factor that’s worked into the mix.”
3. The Vikings’ Run Defense
Early Sunday morning, Steelers running back Jaylen Warren was surprisingly ruled out of Week 4 due to injury. Purple fans noted the injury and thought Brian Flores’ defense would feast because an RB2 named Kenneth Gainwell would fill Warren’s shoes.
And then Gainwell torched Minnesota’s defense.
Pittsburgh rushed for 131 yards on the ground, not an astronomical figure, but this should’ve been a game where Flores’ defense had no problems shutting down Pittsburgh’s rushing offense. In the grand scheme of the NFL, facing Gainwell of 31 other RB1s on a given Sunday felt like a reprieve. Even fantasy football managers were skittish about starting the man.
Gainwell responded by tallying 134 yards from scrimmage on 25 touches. He cooked the Vikings’ defense, which ranked No. 1 in the NFL per EPA/Play heading into the Ireland game.
SI.com‘s Will Ragatz on the defensive troubles in Week 4:
This wasn’t a banner day for the Vikings’ defense. They allowed the Steelers to rip off nearly six yards per play, didn’t force any takeaways, and had just two sacks all day (both from Jalen Redmond). Early on, the biggest issue was Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers’ quick passing game. One of the key plays in the game was an 80-yard touchdown where Rodgers got the ball out to DK Metcalf and let his No. 1 wide receiver do the rest.
Over the course of the game, another issue emerged: run defense. The Steelers were without their primary running back in Jaylen Warren, but that didn’t stop backup Kenneth Gainwell from piling up 99 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. This was Gainwell’s 70th career game and his first one with more than 78 yards on the ground.
Bonus: Injured Linemen
It feels brutal to call injured players by the label of “loser,” but in the strictest definition of the word, Brian O’Neill and Ryan Kelly get a shoutout.
O’Neill injured his MCL, and at the time of the article’s publication, nobody knows if the ailment is a season-ender or a sprain. Minnesota’s right tackle could be out for a few weeks; he may be gone until Week 1 of 2026.
What’s more, Kelly must contemplate his playing future in the NFL, let alone ponder a return to Minnesota’s lineup. He’s suffered five documented concussions in 10 seasons, and the back-to-backer this month is particularly spooky.
The once mighty offensive line on paper for Minnesota — Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, and Brian O’Neill — may never play a single down together.
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